Malaysia's Tenaga Nasional Berhad has formed a strategic partnership with Trilliant to support its nationwide plan for smart meter deployment.Under the partnership, the two companies will jointly develop a go-to market strategy to drive innovation and deliver transformative smart communications solutions to utilities across Asia Pacific and other select regions.

According to a release, the partnership builds on a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed in 2014. Trilliant will "transfer valuable know-how to TNB, enabling them to deploy and support the advanced smart communications network."

Furthermore, the firms will jointly develop new solutions and ultimately deploy advanced smart grid and smart city solutions to customers internationally. This will support TNB's expansion goals and enhance its leading position in the smart grid areas.

"This alliance is an example of the efforts we are taking towards realizing our long term strategy," said Datuk Seri Azman Mohd, president and chief executive officer at Tenaga Nasional Berhad.

In a joint statement, TNB and Trilliant, said: "This strategic alliance facilitates the development of innovative smart grid and AMI applications and services that can be deployed to customers locally and internationally."

Electricity consumption to grow by 80%

Currently the per capita use of electricity in Southeast Asia is half the global average, but with rapidly increasing population and GDP growth, energy consumption is projected to increase by 80% over the next two decades. This is driving energy providers to invest in solutions to increase efficiency to control costs and provide improved service for the consumers.

"The alliance fundamentally changes the business model of utilities working with technology companies to bring combined experience back into the local economy," added Trilliant chairman and CEO Andrew White. "Through the partnership, utilities across the region will benefit from TNB's leadership and investment in innovation to gain access to technology to meet the energy needs of a rapidly expanding economy."

[quote] TNB's nationwide smart meter deployment, announced in 2016, will ultimately be one of the largest of its kind in the region. The meter deployment is currently underway in the state of Melaka (formerly known as Malacca) and this will be expanded to cover all of the company's customers, currently totaling 9.2 million, growing at nearly 4% a year. A March 2017 Brand Finance report ranked TNB #24 (and the fastest growing) in its Global Top 50 Utility Brands. It is also currently the 18th largest utility (in term of market value) in the world. TNB has been very active in diversifying its portfolio, announcing multiple investments across the globe in recent months.